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That's certainly fair, but I would have thought the Rangers would have "re*****igned him" similar to what they did with Schoenfeld. The fact they just canned him...is the shocking part, to me anyway.

It should also be said...while there are things you can certainly hang on Gernander, there are other things that are not his fault, one of them being the complete lack of talent on the roster, especially on defense and goaltending. That's on Schoenfeld and the Rangers GM, not Gernander.

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I agree with everything you said, Evo...but I wonder if there is something else going on.

Gernander, as everyone knows, is "Mr. WolfPack". He's NOT "Mr. Hartford Hockey" as Jacobs called him this morning, that's a bit much, but "Mr. WolfPack" is absolutely fair. As you stated, the fact the roster was terrible (there aren't too many teams in any hockey league that are going to the playoffs when the offense is 25th in a 30 team league and the defense is 30th in a 30 team league) isn't Gernander's fault. Now, I didn't see a single Pack game this season, I can only by seasons past, and I can tell you Gernander's in game coaching....well....it wasn't great. So that's on him.

Now, all of that said...he's been with the organization 20+ years...going back to Binghamton, and with the team and CRDA/Global entering the last year of their contract...maybe the Rangers are already looking at alternative places to play for 2018/19...and it's possible Gernander didn't want to move with the team. Just guessing of course, but with where his kids are in school, that is certainly possible.

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Remember when we compared Dineens AHL coaching career to Gernander's. Gernander was barely around .500 as a coach then he might actually be under .500 as head coach. He's been Head Coach for what 8-9 years?

The Wolf Pack since I've been watching since 2010 have always been a so so team with minimal to no premium prospects.

I can see them wanting a change in reality I think it was Drury who wanted to hire his own Guy.

No doubt though after this upcoming season I don't think Gernander would have stayed with the Pack if they are in fact leaving after this season

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It's **nny....certain people around here do nothing but b!tch, moan and complain that we don't talk enough about hockey, then when we do, the same people b!tch, moan and complain thinking there's something else to it.

The fact is that there is one year left on the deal between the CRDA/Global and the Rangers for the WolfPack to play in Hartford. The affiliation fee is one of the highest, if not THE highest in the AHL, and currently, the state is picking up the tab for said fee. Now...unless that arrangement gets changed drastically in the next deal, it's rather safe to guess that next year will be the last year of the WolfPack in Hartford. That's not opinion. That's fact.

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Come on Greg, take off your WolfPack shades and see the reality...unless there is a drastic change in things, it's very, very difficult seeing the WolfPack staying past next season. Firing Gernander, the only link to the entire 20 year run of the franchise, hints as much.

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"Come on Greg, take off your WolfPack shades and see the reality...unless there is a drastic change in things, it's very, very difficult seeing the WolfPack staying past next season. Firing Gernander, the only link to the entire 20 year run of the franchise, hints as much."

And that would be your opinion/speculation/*****umption.....whatever you want to call it. But it's not fact. It would be a fact if the Rangers/Spectra put out an official press release saying so. I understand the cir*****stances with their affiliation fee but that doesn't mean jack squat. Just because Failers fans want them gone doesn't mean it's going to happen. Maybe, just maybe, the reason they fired Ken is because the team was long overdue for a new coach? It's foolish to *****ume a team is moving just because they let one guy go.

True...it also doesn't mean they're going to stay 100 years like you think they will.

"Maybe, just maybe, the reason they fired Ken is because the team was long overdue for a new coach?"

You don't just "fire" a guy that's been your organization for as long as Gernander was with them. They're "re*****igned", as Schoenfeld was.

"It's foolish to *****ume a team is moving just because they let one guy go."

I'm not *****uming anything. All I said was "unless something drastically changes, it's safe to guess this will be their last season in Hartford." IF the Rangers come down on their affiliation fee....IF the state decides to keep them....IF the state, with Global's blessing, hand off the affiliation fee on Global...then things could change.

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> Let's try this from another angle...you seem confident they're going to

> stay...knowing the state's financial crisis...if you were Mike

> Friemuth...would you extend or renew the WolfPack contract as is?

Kind of hard to answer that since I'm not Mike Friemuth. But if I wanted AHL hockey to remain in the XL Center, I would do whatever it takes to keep it there. Mike is smart enough to know that pro hockey is better than no pro hockey.

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If the fee got raised to $3M/year (which is outrageous), then I'd be shopping around for another AHL replacement. Wasn't there a stipulation stating that Spectra had to find a replacement if and when the WP do leave?

Despite what some may think, I'm not a Rangers fan. I don't care who we have as an affiliate just as long as there's some form of professional hockey.

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Whaler fans have a dislike for msg, not Wolfpack necessarily.. me personally, I have tons of family and friends who are ranger fans but who are also excited to hear that the whalers may be coming back. You call us falier fans and biggie hope we die that's the difference ranger fans and Wolfpack fans..

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"If the fee got raised to $3M/year (which is outrageous), then I'd be shopping around for another AHL replacement. Wasn't there a stipulation stating that Spectra had to find a replacement if and when the WP do leave?"

Good...so you at least understand that the fact the state picks up the affiliation fee is ridiculous.

Also, I read your article...I'm glad they offered Gernander a spot in the organization...that's the right way to treat someone that's been with them as long as he has.

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No matter how you feel about the Rangers, MGG, or the Wolf Pack, to have cut ties with Kenny after all that time would have been low for the lowest of s*****. (Perhaps I could see Karmanos doing such a thing.) I'm glad he's got a job within the organization he's devoted many years of his life.